Method of forming flanged bearings



Feb. 24, 1931. Q L515 1,794,184

METHOD OF FORMING FLANGED BEARINGS Filed Aug. 15, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l I Feb. 24, 1931. Q Els 1,794,184

METHOD OF FORMING FLANGED BEARINGS Filed Aug. 15, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g I i i l m I i 1 I Fatented Feb. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARL H. LEIS, OF NEW CASTLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR- T0 JOHNSON BRONZE COM- PANY, OF NEW CASTLE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA METHOD OF FORMING FLANGED BEARINGS Application filed August 15, 1528. Serial No. 299,691.

This invention relates to the manufacture of bearings, and more particularly flanged bearings such as those used for instance, as main bearings in the automotive industry. In the present practice of forming flanged main bearings a piece of steel of the desired diameter is turned down on a lathe, the metal between the ends being removed while the metal at the ends is not cut away whereby flanges are formed at each end of the metal blank. This is a slow operation'and an ex pensive one, and one which results in the waste of considerable material.

The present invention has for its object to provide a simple method of forming a main bearing from rolled or sheet steel by means of which flanged bearings can be produced economically, more rapidly and with a great saving of material over present methods. The invention may be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank for forming a cylindrical bearing;

Figure 2 is a similar view of the blank after the flanges have been formed thereon;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the blank in the initial process of bending;

Figure 4 shows a further step in the development of the blank, the blank being shown in side elevation;

Figure 5 is an end view of the completed bushing;

Figure 6 is a plan view of a slightly modi fled form of blank;

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the blank shown in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a view corresponding to Figure 3;

Figure 9 is a viewcorresponding to Figure 4:; and

Figure 10 is a side view of the completed bushing.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings, 2 designates a blank formed of flat sheet metal of the composition of which it is desired to form the bushing. The ends of the blank are square, but at each corner the ends flare outwardly. The outwardly flared corner portions are designated 3. The length of the blank 2 is developed to form the cylindrical body of the bearing while the outer side edges'of the blank, 4, are of a length sufiicient to form the flanges.

The blank 2 is stamped from sheet metal. Flanges 5 are then formed along each edge of the central portion 6, the metal being bent along the dotted lines 7 0i Figure 1. The ends of the channel-like blank thus formed, are turned downwardly, as shown in Figure 3. The blank is then pressed in a suitable die .into substantially a U shape with the channel or flanges turned outwardly, as shown in F igure 4. By further operation in a press over a mandrel, the edges of the U shaped blank are brought together at 8. The taper of the corner portions 3 of the blank in Figure 1 is such that when the blank is formed into the cylinder shown in Figure 5 the ends of the flanges 5 will abut on a line which is coincident with the diameter of the bushing.

The flanged bushing is thus formed with out any appreciable stretching the metal. The metal can be cut accurately to shape, and the completed article formed in process with considerable rapidity and with a minimum Waste of material. I V

In the arrangement shown in Figures 6 to 10 inclusive, the flanged bushing isformed from a strip of rolled channel instead of from a piece of fiat sheet metal. In this method a piece of rolled channel having a web portion 10 and side flanges l1 isfirstcut to shape, the web being cut to the length of the inside diameter of the bushing. The ends of the channel are cut ofl on a bevel, as shown in Figure 7 so that while the length of the lower edge of the piece is such as to develop the body of the bushing, the length of the upper edge is such as to form the flange of the completed bushing. After the piece has been cut to length, it is bent to shape. The ends are first turned inwardly, as shown in Figure 8, after which the strip is bent up into substantially a U- shape, as shown in Figure 9. The flanges of the piece are turned outwardly. After being formed to the shape shown in Figure 9 the blank is formed into a completed cylinder or bushing, as shown in Figure 10. The edges of the strip come together at 12 on a line which coincides with a diameter of the bushing.

WVith my method, flanged bushings can be made from either flat sheet material or from rolled material without weakening or stretching the metal, without as much labor or as much waste material as the present practice and at a very considerable saving.

I claim: 7 10 1. The method of forming a flanged bearing member which comprises the steps of forming a piece of bearing metal into the shape of a channel having a web portion and flange portions with the length of the web portion suflicient to form the cylindrical body of the bearing, the ends of the flanges being beveled, thereafter-bending the channel into circular form with the flanges turned outwardly, the beveledends of the flanges coming together ona line which is coincident with the diameter of the bearing.

2. The method of forming flanged bearing members which comprises the steps of forming a flat blank having a central portion with square ends and having a pointed portion at each corner thereof, bending the blank into a channel having flanges with be eled ends, the corner portions of the blank forming the beveled ends of the flanges, and

thereafter bending the blank into circular form with the flanges turned outwardly, the bevel of the ends of the flanges being such that when the blank is formed into cylindrical form, they will come together on a line which is coincident with the diameter of thebeara The method of forming a flanged bearing member which comprises the steps of forming bearing metal into a flat channel,

4 the flanges of which have beveled ends whereby the outer edges of the flange are longer than the inner edges thereof, the length of the channel being such as to form the body of the bushing when bent into a circle, bending the ends of the flat channel inwardly, then bending the channel into a substantial U shape with the flanges turned outwardly and then closing the channel into a cylinder form, the bevel of the flanges being such that the ends of the flanges will meet in astraight line coincident with a diameter of the bearing.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. CARL H. LEIS. 

